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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

WEMEDONNELL. LETTEE ENVELOPE.

No. 499,563. Patented June 13, 1893.

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(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. MODONNELL.

LETTER ENVELOPE! No. 499,563. Patented June 13,1893;

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UNITED. STATES WILLIAM MODONNEIJL,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF LINDSAY, CANADA.

LETTER-ENVELOPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,563, dated June 13, 1893. Application filed January 30, 1892. Serial No. 419,765. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM McDoNNELL, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of Lindsay, in the county of Victoria, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Envelopes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a plan view of the envelope blank. Fig. 2 is a plan view of same with end laps folded. Fig. 3 is a view of the envelope ready for use. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 show different methods of folding the envelopes.

This invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in envelopes, and it consists in the novel construction and combination of parts as hereinafter specified.

The envelopes heretofore commonly in use afford only little protection against the contents being tampered with; it being a simple matter to-unseal the back flap, examine the contents, and reseal the flap without giving it any appearance of having been opened; and the object of this invention is to provide an envelope constructed in such a manner that it cannot be opened without tearing or cutting, which would at once be apparent.

In the accompanying drawings, letter A, Fig. 1, designates the blank or form from which the envelope is constructed. This blank comprises the central portion a, forming the face of the envelope, the angular end laps b, b and the side laps c, c. The end laps b, b are folded inwardly toward each other, and are gummed at d, as shown in Fig. 2, forming the inner portion of. the back of the envelope. brought up and gummed at its edges to the laps b, 1) its upper portion forming a further extension or lapf, gummed on its outer surface at the marginal edges. This extension or tonguef maybe of broad form or of narrow-pointed or rounded form, both of which forms are illustrated in the drawings. In this form, as shown in Fig. 3, the envelopes are ready for use. The letter or other inclosore is placed therein, and the flap f folded The lower side lap c is then.

over and gummed to the inner surface of the face of the envelope. The upper side flap 0 is then folded over closing the opening at the top, and is gummed to the lower flap 0. Said 'fiap o terminates in an extension or tongue o of pointed, square or rounded form. This extension or flap 0 may be secured by several different methods, as follows: In Fig. '4. it is shown as inserted through a slitCin the flap portion 0, to the inner surface of which it is gummed, this being the simplest method of securing it. In Fig. 5, said flap c is shown as extended to a greater extent, and inserted in a slit D in the lower edge of the envelope, where it is gummed. In Fig. 6 it is shown as extended around the lower edge of the envelope, and inserted in a slit E, in the face of the envelope, near the bottom edge, and gummed therein. lock is shown for the flap. It is first inserted through a slit F in the flap 0, near the lower edge of the envelope; passed out through a slit G in the lower edge, and re-inserted in a slit H in the face, where it is gummed. The construction of the blank is the same in all these styles of fastening, with the exception of the location of the various slits, and the degree of elongation and form of the tongues or flaps 0 An envelope constructed in the manner described, and having its outer flap secured in any of the methods above set forth, cannot be opened to get at the contents without being cut or torn in such a manner as to be at once apparent.

Having described this invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

An envelope having a tongue or extension f on its rear flap, which tongue is arranged to fold over the contents of the envelope and gum to the inner surface of the face thereof, in combination with a tongue or extension 0 on its closing flap arranged to pass into aslit or slits in the lower portion of the envelope and gum to the interior thereof, said tongues fand 0 thereby forming a double interior seal, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM MODONNELL.

Witnesses:

S. IRWIN, J AS. STEWART.

In Figs. 7 and 8 a double 

